Ditching plow adjustment mechanism



Sept. 15, 1953 J. SCHWINDT 2,651,358

DITCHING PLOW ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM Filed July 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Sept. 15, 1953 Filed July 16, 1951 J. SCHWINDT DITCHING PLOW ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. Jflc/r Sewrwxvor Patented Sept. 15, 1953 nrronnve PLOW ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM Jack Schwindt, Fort Morgan, 0010., assignor of fifty per cent to Katherine W. Schwindt, Fort Morgan, Colo.

Application July 16, 1951, Serial Nb. 236,93?

2 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a blow for dig ing ditches and building ditch banks, and has for its principal object the provision of a simple and highly efficient ditching plow which can be easily and accurately controlled by the tractor operator; which will form a smooth ditch bottom with an evenly contoured bank in, all types of soil and plant growth; which will eliminate the necessity for driving the tractor in or astr-ide the ditch being formed; which can be quickly and easily adjusted to build up the ditch bank on either side of the ditch so as to dig properly formed ditches and banks along hillsides; and which can be quickly and easily elevated for transportation over roads and fields.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved ditching plow;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof in the elevated, transportation position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, detail, perspective View illustrating a type of toggle joint employed in the improved ditching plow;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the plow, taken on the line l, Fig. 1, illustrating the plow in the raised, non-digging position; and

Fig. 5 is a similar section, illustrating the plow in a ditch digging position.

The improved ditching plow is supported on a front caster wheel in and two rear trailing wheels ll. The caster wheel is journalled in a caster bracket i2 mounted on a caster pivot i3 extending through a tongue member M adjacent the forward extremity of the latter. The rear extremity of the tongue member l4 extends between side plates l5 which project forwardly from a plow beam 6. The tongue member H5 is hinged between the forward extremities of the plates E5 on a horizontal hinge bolt l1 and extends rearwardly from the latter between the plates 15.

The rear trailing wheels H are mounted in wheel forks i8 fixedly secured on the outer extremities of two horizontal, aligned wheel shafts it. The inner extremities of the wheel shafts I9 are provided with set collars 58 which rotatably lock them in alignment within .a bearing'box 28 secured to and extending upwardly from the rear extremity of the-plow beam 16. Each wheel shaft l9 may be independently oscillated to swing its wheel I l upwardly or downwardly through the mediumof a hand lever 2 l. The two levers 2| are mounted on opposite extremitiesof a lever bolt 22 'point member 32.

ties of the side plates 15.

extending through the plow beam I6. Each of the leversZl may be independently locked in any desired angular position in a notched segment member 23. The segment members 23 are welded on and extend upwardly in parallel relation from the plow beam l6.

Each lever 2 I is connected by means of a connecting link 24 with an actuating lever 25 welded or otherwise affixed to one of the wheel shafts l9 adjacent its inner extremity. The levers 25 are braced from the shafts [9 by means of suitable angle braces 26. The connecting links 24 are secured to their respective levers 25 by means of attachment bolts 21, which can be positioned in any selected one of a plurality of spaced openings 28 formed in the links 24 to adjust the operating arcs of the levers 2|.

It will be noted that as the levers 2| are swung forwardly, the wheels II will also be swung forwardly beneath the ditching plow to elevate either or both sides of the rear extremity of the latter. The weight of the plow is partially counterbalanced by means of counter-balance springs 29 which are tensioned between the forward extremities of the connecting links 24 and upright postmembers 30, which are welded to, and extend upwardly from the plow beam I6.

The plow beam supports two mold boards 3i arranged in V-shaped relation to each other and joined at their forward extremities by a plow The forward extremities of the mold boards 3! and the point member 32 are rigidly supported from the plow beam 16 on downwardly extending supporting arms 33 which are formed on, or attached to, the forward extremi- A knife plate 4! is secured along the lower edge of each mold board and projects outwardly therefrom for soil cutting purposes.

' The rear extremities of the mold boards 3! are suspended from the wheel shafts is through the medium of hanger pads 34 which are adjustably secured to'the mold boards through the medium of suitable attachment bolts 35 and elongated bolt openings 36.

The mold boards are rigidly supported, separated, and braced from the plow beam it by means of horizontal brace bars 39 which overlap each other on the top and bottom of the plow beam l 6, the overlapping extremities being clamped together and to the plow beam by means of suitable clamps All. By releasing the clamps it the bars 39 maybe slid outwardly or inwardly to increase or decrease the angle of attack of either of the mold boards 3|. The hangers 34 slide along the shafts l9 during the adjusting operation. No forward hinge is necessary on the mold boards toaccomplish the angle changes, as there is sufficient flexibility in the mold boards and the arms 33 for this purpose.

The connecting point between the tongue member and the plow beam [6 may be raised or tween the upper extremitiesol the post members 30 upon a suitable hinge bolt 45., The forward extremity of the lifting bar 44 is connected by means of suspension links 48 and upper and lower hinge pins 49 and 59 with the rear extremity of the tongue member M.

A spring 46 is tensioned between the plow beam I6 and the lifting bar 44 to constantly urge the latter downwardly against the hydraulic plunger 43. The plunger may be actuated from a jack pump handle 41 similarly to a conventional hydraulic jack, or the hydraulic cylinder 42 may be connected to any source of hydraulic pressure on the towing vehicle, as desired. It can be seen that when the hydraulic plunger 43 is actuated upwardly, it will pull the rear extremity of the tongue member I4 upwardly to lift the forward extremity of the plow beam I6 and the mold boards 3| through the medium of the hinge bolts H, the caster wheel I!) acting as a fulcrum.

If it is desired to have the towing vehicle travel directly along the ditch line, the towing vehicle 'is connected to a bifurcated hitch on the forward extremity of the tongue member I4. If it is preferred to have the towing vehicle travel along one side of the ditch line, a sldewardly extending draw bar 52 is employed which is hingedly secured in the hitch 5| upon a suitable draw bar bolt 53. The sidewardly extending draw bar" 52 is provided with loop members 54, and the tongue member I4 is also provided with oppositely ex tending loop members 55. A flexible member, such as a chain or cable 55, is secured about the extremity of the draw bar in the loops '54 and about the tongue member $4 in the loops55.

The towing vehicle is connected to the extremity of the draw bar 52, as'indicated at 51, and the drag of the ditching plow is transferred through the chain or cable 55 to the tongue member I4. This enables the towing tractor to travel along one bank of the ditch. It can be transferred to the other bank by simply'swinging the draw bar 52 to the opposite'side of the tongue member I4.

The tendency of the sideward pull isto cause the rear extremity of the plow to swing toward that side. This tendency, however, is resisted by the draw bar 52, which prevents the forward extremity of the tongue member I4 from swinging to the opposite side.

It is desired to call attention to the various adjustments provided. For instance, thewidth between the mold boards can be adjusted through the medium of the clamps 40. The relative angle between the hanger p'ads'34 and the mold boards can be adjusted by varying the position of the elongated bolt openings 36'on the bolts 35. The height to which the wheel shafts may be raised can be adjusted by varying the position'of theattachment bolts'ZI in the spaced openings 28.

In use, the plow point member 32 is lowered into the ground, by releasing the pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 4-2, to the depth towhich the desired ditch is to be dug. The rear extremities of the mold boards 3| are then lowered through the medium of the levers 2| to allow the'former to enter the ground to produce the desired width of the ditch, as indicated in Fig. -5. It will be noted that the deeper the rear extremities of the mold boards penetrate the ground, the wider will be the dug ditch. The extremities of the mold boards projecting above the ground act to form banks on the ditch from the earth dug therefrom.

Should the ditch be laid out on the contour of 'a hillside, it'will; of course, be desirable to place all or most of the ditch bank on the lower side of the ditch. This is accomplished by swinging one of the. levers 2| forwardly to raise the mold board on the lower side of the ditch, and by swinging the other lever 2| rearwardly to lower the mold board on the upper side of the ditch. This will cause the major portion of the loosened earth to pile along the lower side of the ditch. If desired, one mold board may be adjusted inwardly toward the plow beam and the other outwardly therefrom to dig a ditch having one side more vertical than the other.

When not in use, the mold boards may be elevated sufficiently high, as shown in Fig. 4, to clear all ground obstructions.

While a specificv form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

'Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is: 1. In a ditching plow of the type having mold boards in V-shaped arrangement, the flared extremity of said v being directed rearwardly, said latter extremity being wheel-supported, means for variably supporting the apex of said V comprising: supporting arms secured to and extending upwardly from said mold boards; a horizontal hinge member supported by said arms above the apex of said V; a tongue member tiltably mounted on said hinge member and extending forwardly from said mold'boards and rearwardly between the latter; a plow beam extending rearwardly from said arms medially of said mold boards and in fixed relation to the latter; an upright post member mounted on and arising from said plow beam rearwardly of said tongue member; a lifting lever hingedly mounted on said post member and extending forwardly over said tongue member; a suspension link hingedly suspending the rearward extremity of said tongue member from the forward extremity of said lifting lever; and variable supporting means supported on said plow beam below said lifting lever and acting upwardly against said lifting lever to cause said link to swing the rear extremity of said tongue member upwardly.

2. Means for variably supporting the apex of a ditching plow as described in claim 1 in which the variable supporting means comprises: a hydraulic cylinder mounted on said plow beam; a plunger extending upwardly from said cylinder intocontact with said lifting lever to lift the latter; and a spring tensioned between said plow beam and said lifting lever and urging the latter downwardly.

JACK SCHWINDT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 774,458 Sylvestersen Nov. 8, 1904 2,261,874 Cundiif Nov. 4, 1941 2,426,847 Smith Sept. 2, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,517 Great Britain May 28, 1840 

